







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| They also have three big windows in their room! | |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | |
| So, I guess you are from Australia. | |
| Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | |
| Yes, it was quite easy, actually, I live very close by. | |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | |
| Erm... Yeah... Sure! It's our first anniversary! | |
| But I don't know him well. | |
| Thanks, yeah, as I said, Camden is in zone-2... | |
| Mike, teriyaki is Japanese, we are at a Chinese restaurant. | |
| Don't you think two forks are enough for us? | |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | |
| Look, you can watch the sunset best from this point. | |
| I haven't seen her, either, and I don't really want to... | |
| I live just opposite the pub. | |
| Hi there, are you ready? | |
| Exactly, I hate getting woken up in the middle of the night! | |
| Erm... I know I snore occasionally, do I snore everyday? | |
| Normally, girls check the wine list for half an hour before they order. | |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | |